A Lifetime to Steal a Kiss
by Rakata Imari
Summary: They spent their childhood as friends, only to find a lifetime left to find something more.


A Lifetime to Steal a Kiss  
  
By: Illia Sadri  
  
Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah we know the standard nonsense of not owning anything and blah blah blah…. Whatever.   
  
Author Notes: Entirely spoils the end to the show. Takes place after episode 26. Now of all couplings why Claus and Lavie? Eh, Alvis is ridiculously too young to have any guy. She is still a little girl. She's the little sister. Sophia is head over heels with Alex so that doesn't work too well. Moran does try to hit on Lavie (and virtually every female on the ship) at least once but he finds his chick. Alex and Lavie would be um…. Wrong. Now, Claus and Lavie are the most feasible as their relationship does go through changes through the series. We start with very plutonic best friends. Of course as we see the jealousy brew with Lavie and such it does lend more toward that than anything else. And even how Claus views Lavie seems to mature significantly, even if he is absolutely clueless.   
  
A field of golden wheat expanded across the untouched land. It wasn't the same color of drying and shriveling plants as they had known. As though to confirm, the pale, calloused hands dug slightly into the rich black soil, the slightly damp feeling soaking into his skin.  
  
It was as thought they had all entered a dream. One where such basic things like water and food were not a luxury. These empty fields would change that. Everyone would be able to start over again, without strife.  
  
"Hey Claus!" he heard a familiar voice sound. She had been his sister and best friend for so long. Until they went on the Silvanna where he seemed to lose her. She had seemed so hurt, even before opting out of the navi position.   
  
Had something changed then? What had happened? It had hardly made any sense. It didn't feel right not having her behind him in the vanship. Even though Tatiana and Alistia were capable companions… it wasn't Lavie. It wasn't the person who had been there for their first takeoff. It wasn't the girl who would counter the other pilots' taunts with nicknames that became more common than their namesakes.   
  
Yet they had finished together, with Al. That was how it should have been all along. They were his family, the few people in his life he could truly cherish as something worth protecting. That was why had had flown in the wars. To get this peace, this vast field of grain.  
  
"Wake up Sleepyhead!" she called a bit louder, or perhaps she had come closer. But for once he wasn't asleep. No, he simply laid on the ground, his body exhausted and staring at this new world before turning toward the gray rain clouds forming. Claus recalled how everyone in Norkia would come out and celebrate these clouds. Now it happened once a week, these dreary shades of gray.   
  
He turned toward her, ignoring the tears forming on the corners of his eyes. She jumped, slightly surprised before continuing. "I came to get you for lunch. Al is trying a new dish. I kinda figured you'd fallen asleep out here or something," she said with a slight chuckle.  
  
Smiling, he shook his head. "No I was just thinking."  
  
"About what?" she asked, taking a seat on the ground next to him.  
  
He wasn't entirely certain how to word his thoughts. They seemed to jump from everything that happened as of late from the war to flying to this new land. Yet every time it would eventually lead back to her. He couldn't seem to see her in the same light as before.  
  
Taking a long look at her, he noticed things he had been oblivious to. Lavie didn't look like a small girl anymore. Her face was more adult yet youthful. Cute but not strikingly beautiful. From his position on the ground, he noticed the graceful curves her body had. He had never thought of her as a woman. She was Lavie! Why was it so different suddenly, when did it change.  
  
He thought back to the night that Sophia had kissed him. Back then he hadn't been sure what to make of it. There was no emotion behind it for him, only shock. He had frozen that moment. Had it been Lavie how would he have reacted? Would it have felt so strange? If he did it now, would it express these strange feelings?  
  
"I… well, it's been awhile hasn't it?" he started, "Since we've been able to really talk."  
  
Lavie nodded her head in agreement, "Yeah I guess it has. All during the war it became hard to get a moment with just us."  
  
Pushing himself up with his hands, Claus turned and took a seated position directly in front of the feisty redhead. He held his knees close to his body with his arms and gently rocked back and forth. "I really missed those days. Now it seems different."  
  
"I know what you mean…"   
  
Shock. Lavie had noticed this as well, this gap that had formed in their friendship. Did she perhaps understand what was happening? Perhaps all this time she knew better while he had been left behind. "What? I mean… you noticed too huh?" Claus mentioned, bringing his head down into his legs.  
  
Lavie mimicked the action and brought her own head down as she spoke. "I don't know why but for awhile I was so jealous; when Tatiana came back from the desert wearing your clothes. I know it's silly but I was so mad at you for it. It was like you were leaving me…"  
  
"But, I wasn't… I didn't mean to…" Claus interrupted.  
  
Placing one hand blindly on his leg, she silenced him so she could continue. "I know… It's just that we were always together. When our fathers died I remember you and me promising to cross the grand stream together. Then it seemed like you were leaving for something much bigger."  
  
"It hurt. I used to think that we were just best friends. It's not that anymore you know…"  
  
Looking toward her, he could only manage to mutter her name… "Lavie."  
  
Quickly she brought herself up, leaning toward him in a quick movement. Her body weight toppling the slight young man, their faces closed in distance until her lips brushed his. She gave a tentative kiss quickly backing off before continuing with another kiss, roughly grabbing at his bottom lip as she kept one eye trained on him to see how Claus would react.  
  
For a moment Claus felt the same shock as he had with Sophia. Lavie was kissing him, and not in a friendly or sisterly way. After a moment as she continued, the feeling eased and he felt himself respond in return, matching her pace with his much gentler lips as he wrapped his arms around her, drawing him as close to her as possible..  
  
Hesitantly, Claus pulled away, his cheeks flushed a bright pink. Neither dared to look the other in the face, instead turning their fascination upward toward the ever darkening sky as a raindrop fell, splashing on Lavie's face. Several more fell around them before the sudden downpour began.  
  
Soaked by the small droplets, they continued to sit, each taking a quick glance at the other before awkwardly turning away once more. "Claus…" Lavie finally said.  
  
Claus could feel the moment that Lavie's eyes fell on him. His mind raced in time to his nearly fluttering heart. Was this what he truly felt for her? How was he falling for her?  
  
His mind recalled the memories of her, from the Silvanna, when they were children… Lavie was always adventurous and lively. The way she spoke her mind… The way she tinkered with their vanship. It was so easy to fall for her.  
  
"Please, Claus. Say something!" Lavie shouted before her voice softened, "I-I love you. Just say something already."  
  
"I don't know," Claus admitted. There was no way he was going to throw such a word around so lightly. He had to know. Part of him still wanted to see her as that little girl living next door, his little sister. Yet his heart was refusing that. "I don't know what exactly I'm feeling. I think I might feel the same. It's just I don't know how to tell."  
  
Crossing her arms in front of her chest, Lavie sighed. "Well did you like the kiss or not?"  
  
"Y-Yeah, but…"  
  
Leaning toward the ground, Lavie placed her head in the blonde's lap, shivering slightly from the cool air hitting her damp skin. Her clothing limply hung off her body from the added weight, her body all the more visible to her companion. "It's okay I guess. We have all the time in the world after all. There's no rush."  
  
Allowing a smile to form on his lips, Claus brought his hand to her head and gently stroked the burgundy colored locks of hair. His fingers tangled in the wet mess, causing him to rest his hand against her face. "Thank you…"   
  
The rain slowed, until only the occasional droplet rippled the shallow puddles decorating the earth. A gentle light shone from beneath the remaining thin layers of clouds, giving an overcast glow.   
  
Each shaking from he cold, both said at the same time "Maybe we should go b…" before breaking into a slight chuckle. They knew one another so well to be able to think so similarly. Yet Claus was Claus and Lavie was Lavie, two different people. Two people who simply understood one another.  
  
Raising themselves from the ground, Lavie briefly started to wipe at the mud on her pants until she felt another hand slip into her own. She took note that his hand was larger than hers yet so much gentler. Everything about her was more forceful than with him.   
  
As they walked back together, hand in hand, Lavie knew that it was true. They did have more time than could be imagined with this world. As long as it would take they would still be together. There would be plenty of opportunities to steal a kiss. They still had a lifetime for that. 


End file.
